Each month we showcase an individual who participated in the "Made in NY" PA Training Program. Click
here for information on the free, month-long program developed in conjunction with Brooklyn Workforce Innovations and designed to create job opportunities for New Yorkers, connect New Yorkers with employers in the industry, and educate production assistants on how to work collaboratively with the communities in which they shoot.

Sorin Pitu. Photo courtesy of BWI.

December 3, 2012 - Sorin Pitu’s journey to the “Made in NY” PA Training Program began halfway around the world.

Pitu, who was born in Romania, came to the U.S. when he was four years old with his father and younger brother to join his mother, who had been in the country since he was two. “My life was always about working hard, sacrifice and fighting for your dream,” he recalled. “I was raised by my parents with that mentality since I was a young child. They always told me that they did not know a word of English and had very little money, but they came here for us and to escape the fear of communism.”

Before he joined the “Made in NY” Production Assistant Training Program, he was working as a waiter and bartender at a restaurant in Queens, all the while trying to break into the entertainment industry. “I was always glued to the TV screen as a child…so I knew TV series and films were [where] I should be.”

The hardest part of the training for him was the long commute to Brooklyn from his home in Whitestone, Queens. “I learned a lot about being early and ready to work,” he said, expressing his gratitude to the staff at Brooklyn Workforce Innovations for teaching him so much.

Since graduating in April 2007 as part of Cycle 6, Pitu has worked on a long list of productions – TV series, feature films, independents, commercials, music videos and photo shoots. Among his favorite jobs: the time he spent as an office/director’s PA for an NBC pilot, as the set PA on “Law & Order: SVU” and his recent work as a grip and electrician on various jobs.

With his work as a PA, he’s been able to pay off his debts and buy a car. He’s also been able to collaborate with his fellow “Made in NY” PAs. “We now work together to make our dreams come true,” he said.

Wearing many hats since he started his career in production, he’s now pursuing his goal of becoming a producer, looking for investors for a couple of projects he’d like to get made, including a political thriller called Mischief Night. He’d also like to explore the new frontier of video-on-demand websites or work for a big production company or studio. “I wouldn’t mind being a studio head,” he said with a laugh.

“My life has changed so much since I completed the program,” he said. “Just working on set and seeing so many places in New York is amazing; everything is different.

“I don’t know what else I would be doing if I wasn’t working in this great industry.”

Interested in learning more about the “Made in NY” PA Training Program? Click
here.
Read more about previous "Made in NY" PAs of the Month here.